Burnout rate among physicians rises

Forty-six percent of physicians reported feeling burned out, up from 40% in 2013, according to Medscape’s Physician Lifestyle Report for 2015, which was based on the responses of nearly 20,000 physicians.

 

The specialties reporting the highest percentage of physicians that felt burned out were critical care (53%) and emergency care (52%). Half of family medicine, internal medicine, general surgery, and HIV/infectious diseases physicians reported being burned out.

 

The top reported causes for burnout were too many bureaucratic tasks, spending too much time at work, income not high enough, and the increasing computerization of practice.